Three Kingdoms Romance

by Guanzhong Luo

The soldiers of the South Land replied, “The Commander-in-Chief of the South Land, Zhou Yu, in person.”

  Immediately was heard the thud of a club, and the wall became alive with troops all armed. And from the tower came out Zhao Yun who said, “Why are you here, General?”

  “I am going to take the west for you;” replied Zhou Yu, “do you not know?”

  “The Directing Instructor knows that you want to try the ruse of 'Borrowing a Road to Destroy the Host.' And so he stationed me here. And my master bade me say that he and the ruler of the Western Land of Rivers are both members of the reigning family so that he could not think of such baseness as attacking Yiazhou. If you people of the South Land do so, he will be forced to go away into the mountains and become a recluse. He could not bear to lose the confidence of humankind.”

  At this Zhou Yu turned his horse as if to return. Just then his scouts came up to report: “Armed bands are moving toward us from all four sides, led by Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Wei Yan. Their number is unknown, but the sound of their tramping shakes the heavens. They say they want to capture the Commander-in-Chief.”

  At these tidings Zhou Yu's excitement became so intense that he fell to the ground with a great cry, and the old wound reopened.

  The game was now too deep; in vain he sought

  A countermove; his efforts came to nought.

  Later chapters will show what was Zhou Yu's fate.

  CHAPTER 57. Sleeping-Dragon Mourns At Chaisang; Blooming-Phoenix Intervenes At Leiyang.

  In the last chapter it was said that a sudden rage filled the bosom of Zhou Yu, and he fell to the ground. Then he was carried to his boat. It only added to his rage and mortification to be told that Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang could be seen on the top of one of the hills apparently feasting and enjoying some music. He lay grinding his teeth with vexation.

  “They say I shall never be able to get Yiazhou! But I will; I swear I will.”

  Soon after Sun Quan's brother Sun Shao arrived, and Zhou Yu told him his vexations.

  “My brother sent me to assist you,” said Sun Shao.

  Zhou Yu ordered Sun Shao to press the army forward for Yiazhou, and they got to Baqiu. There they stopped, for the scouts reported large forces under Liu Bei's generals — Liu Feng and Guan Ping — barring the water route in the Great River. This failure did not make the Commander-in-Chief any calmer.

  About this time a letter from Zhuge Liang arrived, which ran like this:

  “Since our parting at Chaisang I have thought of you often. Now comes to me a report that you desire to take the

  Western Land of Rivers, which I regret to say I consider impossible. The people there are strong, and the country is precipitous and defensible. Imperial Protector Liu Zhang may be weak within, but he is strong enough to defend himself.

  “Now indeed, General, you would go far and you would render great services, yet can any one foretell the final result? No; not even Wu Qi the Great General could say for certain, nor could Sun Zi the Famed Strategist be sure of a successful issue. Cao Cao suffered severe defeat at the Red Cliffs; think you he will ever cease to hope for revenge? Now if you undertake a long expedition, will he not seize the occasion to fall upon the South Land and grind it to powder? Such a deed would be more than I could bear, and I venture to warn you of the possible danger if haply you may condescend to regard it.”

  The letter made Zhou Yu feel very sorrowful, and he sighed deeply. He called for paper and ink and wrote to the Marquis of Wu and, having done this, he said to his assembled officers, “I have honestly tried to do my best for my country, but my end is at hand. The number of my days is accomplished. You must continue to aid our master till his end shall be achieved—”

  He stopped; for he had swooned.

  Slowly he regained consciousness; and as he looked up to heaven, he sighed heavily, “O God, since thou made Zhou Yu, why did thou also create Zhuge Liang?”

  Soon after he passed away; he was only thirty-six.

  The battle at the Red Cliffs made him famous;

  Though young in years he gained a veteran's reputation.

  Deep feeling, his music declared its intensity;

  Subtle, with excess hospitality he foiled a plot;

  Persuasive, he obtained a large gift of grain from Lu Su;

  Capable, he led an army of millions.

  Baqiu was his deathbed, there his fate met him.

  Sadly indeed they mourned him.

  After his death his generals sent his dying memorial to the Marquis of Wu, who was most deeply affected and wept aloud at the sad tidings of his death. When Sun Quan opened the letters, he saw that Lu Su was named as the dead general's successor, This is the letter:

  “Possessing but ordinary abilities, there was no reason why I should have been the recipient of your confidence and

  high office, but I have not spared myself in the leadership of the great army under my command that thereby I might prove my gratitude. Yet none can measure life and the number of our days is ordained by fate. Before I could achieve even my poor intentions, my feeble body has failed me. I regret it without measure. I die with Cao Cao threatening and our northern borders disturbed, and with Liu Bei in your family as though you were feeding a fierce tiger. None can foretell the fate of the empire in these nervous days of stress and of peculiar anxiety for you.

  “Lu Su is most loyal, careful in all matters and a fitting man to succeed to my office. When a person is near death, his words are wise; and if I may haply retain your regard, I may die but I shall not decay.”

  “Zhou Yu should have been a king's counselor,” cried Sun Quan, amid his tears. “He has left me alas! too soon, and whom have I to lean upon? But he recommends Lu Su, and I can do nothing better than take that advice.”

  Whereupon Sun Quan appointed Lu Su to the vacant command, Commandership-in-Chief. Sun Quan also saw that the coffin of his beloved general was sent to Chaisang ready for the funeral sacrifices.

  The night of Zhou Yu's death, Zhuge Liang was gazing up at the heavens when he saw a star of a general fall to the earth.

  “Zhou Yu is dead,” said he with a smile.

  At dawn he sent to tell Liu Bei, who sent people to find out, and they came back to say it was true Zhou Yu had died.

  “Now that this has come to pass, what should we do?” said Liu Bei.

  “Lu Su will succeed,” said Zhuge Liang. “And I see in the heavens signs of an assembly of generals in the southeast, so I shall go there. The mourning for Zhou Yu will serve as a pretext. I may find some able leaders there to be of help to you.”

  “I am afraid lest the generals of the South Land harm you,” said Liu Bei.

  “While Zhou Yu lived, I did not fear; is there anything to dread now that he is gone?”

  However, Zhuge Liang took Zhao Yun as commander of his escort when he embarked for Baqiu, and on the road he heard of Lu Su's succession to the late general's post. As the coffin of Zhou Yu had been sent to Chaisang, Zhuge Liang continued his journey thither and, on landing, was kindly received by Lu Su. The officers of the South Land did not conceal their enmity, but the sight of the redoubtable Zhao Yun, always close at hand, kept them from trying to hurt Zhuge Liang.

  The officers brought by Zhuge Liang were arranged in order before the bier, and he himself poured the libation. Then he knelt and read this threnody:

  “Alas, Zhou Yu! Hapless are you in your early death. Length of days is in the hands of God, yet do humans suffer

  and my heart is deeply grieved for you. I pour this libation that your spirit may enjoy its fragrance.

  “I lament you. I lament your younger days passed in the companionship of Sun Ce, when, preferring eternal principles to material wealth, you abode in a humble cottage.

  “I lament your ripe strength when you guarded distant Baqiu, putting fear into the heart of Liu Biao, destroying rebels and ensuring safety.

  “I lament the grace of your manhood. Married to a fair maid of the Qiao family, son-
in-law of a great minister, you were such as would add luster to the Han Court.

  “I lament your resolute purpose when you opposed the pledge-giving to Cao Cao. As in the beginning your wings drooped not, so in the end your pinions spread wide.

  “I lament your abandon, when your false friend, Jiang Gan, came to you at Poyang Lake. There you manifested your lofty ideals.

  “I lament your magnificent talents, proved in civil administration as in military science. With fire attacking the fierce enemy at the Red Cliffs, you brought his strength to weakness.

  “I recall you as you were but yesterday, bold and successful, and I weep your untimely death. Prostrate I weep tears of sorrow. Loyal and upright in heart, noble and spiritual by nature, your life has been but three decades, but your fame will endure for ages.

  “I mourn for your affection. My bowels writhe with sorrow, and my deep-seated sadness will never cease. The very heavens are darkened. The army is sad; your lord sheds tears; your friends weep floods.

  “Scanty of ability am I, yet even of me you begged plans and sought schemes to aid the South Land to repulse Cao Cao, to restore the Hans and comfort the Lius. But with you as the firm corner stone and your perfect dispositions, could the final result cause any anxiety?

  “Alas, my friend! The quick and the dead are ever separate; they mingle never. If in the deep shades spirits have understanding, you now read my inmost heart, yet hereafter there will be none on earth to comprehend.

  “Alas, the pain!

  “Deign to accept this my sacrifice.”

  The sacrifice finished, Zhuge Liang bowed to the ground and keened while his tears gushed forth in floods. He was deeply moved.

  Those who stood on guard by the bier said one to another, “People lied when they said these two were enemies; look at the sincerity shown in sacrifice.”

  And Lu Su was particularly affected by the display of feeling and thought, “Plainly Zhuge Liang loved Zhou Yu much, but Zhou Yu was not broadminded enough and would have done Zhuge Liang to death.”

  Before Sleeping-Dragon emerged from his Nanyang retreat,

  A brilliant man had descended upon this earth;

  Since, O Azure Heaven, ye made Zhou Yu,

  Why needed Yellow Earth produce an Zhuge Liang?

  Lu Su gave a banquet for Zhuge Liang after which the guest left. Just as Zhuge Liang was embarking, his arm was clutched by a person in Taoist dress who said with a smile, “You exasperated literally to death the man whose body lies up there; to come here as a mourner is an open insult to the South Land. It is as good as to say they have no other left.”

  At first Zhuge Liang did not recognize the speaker, but very soon he saw it was no other than Pang Tong, or the Blooming-Phoenix. Then Zhuge Liang laughed in his turn, and they two hand in hand went down into the ship, where they talked heart to heart for a long time.

  Before leaving, Zhuge Liang gave his friend a letter and said, “I do not think that Sun Quan will use you as you merit. If you find life here distasteful, then you may come to Jingzhou and help to support my master. He is liberal and virtuous and will not disdain what you have spent your life in learning.”

  Then they parted, and Zhuge Liang went alone to Jingzhou.

  Lu Su had the coffin of Zhou Yu taken to Wuhu, where Sun Quan received it with sacrifices and lamentations. The dead leader was buried in his native place.

  Zhou Yu's family consisted of two sons and a daughter, the children being named Zhou Xun, Zhou Yin, and Zhou Ying. Sun Quan treated them with generosity and tenderness.

  Lu Su was not satisfied that he was the fittest successor to his late chief and said, “Zhou Yu was not right in recommending me, for I have not the requisite ability and am unfitted for this post. But I can commend to you a certain able man, conversant with all knowledge, and a most capable strategist, not inferior to the old Guan Zhong or Yue Yi, one whose plans are as good as those of Sun Zi and Wu Qi, the most famous masters of the Art of War. Zhou Yu often took his advice, and Zhuge Liang believes in him. And he is at hand.”

  This was good news for Sun Quan, who asked the man's name, and when he heard it was Pang Tong or Blooming-Phoenix, he replied, “Yes; I know him by reputation; let him come.”

  Whereupon Pang Tong was invited to the Palace and introduced. The formal salutations over, Sun Quan was disappointed with the man's appearance, which was indeed extraordinary. Pang Tong had bushy eyebrows, a turned-up nose, a dark face, and a stubby beard. So Sun Quan was prejudiced against Pang Tong.

  “What have you studied,” asked Sun Quan, “and what are you master of?”

  Pang Tong replied, “One must not be narrow and obstinate; one must change with circumstances.”

  “How does your learning compare with that of Zhou Yu?” asked Sun Quan.

  “My learning is not to be compared with his in the least; mine is far greater.”

  Now Sun Quan had always loved his late general, and he could not bear to hear him disparaged. This speech of Pang Tong only increased his dislike. So he said, “You may retire, Sir; I will send for you when I can employ you.”

  Pang Tong uttered one long sigh and went away.

  When he had gone, Lu Su said, “My lord, why not employ him?”

  “What good would result; he is just one of those mad fellows.”

  “He did good service at the Red Cliffs fight, however, for it was he who got Cao Cao to chain his ships together.”

  “It was simply that Cao Cao wished to chain his ships together. No credit was due to this fellow. In any case I give you my word that I will not employ him. That much is certain.”

  Lu Su went out and explained to Pang Tong that the failure was not due to lack of recommendation, but simply a whim of Sun Quan, and he must put up with it. The disappointed suitor hung his head and sighed many times without speaking.

  “I fear you are doomed to constant disappointment here,” said Lu Su. “There is nothing you can hope for, eh?”

  But still Pang Tong was silent.

  “With your wonderful gifts, of course you will be successful whithersoever you may go. You may take my word for that. But to whom will you go?”

  “I think I will join Cao Cao,” said Pang Tong suddenly.

  “That would be hinging a gleaming pearl into darkness. Rather go to Liu Bei, who would appreciate you and employ you fittingly.”

  “The truth is that I have been thinking of this for a long time,” said Pang Tong. “I was only joking just now.”

  “I will give you a letter to Liu Bei; and if you go to him, you must try to maintain peace between him and my lord and get them to act together against Cao Cao.”

  “That has been the one desire of my life.”

  Pang Tong took the letter offered by Lu Su and soon made his way to Jingzhou City. He arrived at a moment that Zhuge Liang was absent on an inspection journey, but the doorkeeper announced him and said he had come to throw in his lot with Liu Bei. He was received, for he was no stranger in name.

  When Pang Tong was admitted, he made the ordinary salutation but did not make an obeisance and this, coupled with his ugly face, did not please his host.

  “You have come a long and arduous journey,” said Liu Bei.

  At this point the suitor should have produced his letters from Zhuge Liang and Lu Su, but did not. Instead he replied, “I hear, O Imperial Uncle, that you are welcoming the wise and receiving scholars, wherefore I have come to join your service.”

  “The country is decently peaceful now, and unfortunately there is no office vacant. But away to the northeast there is a small magistracy, Leiyang, which needs a chief. I can offer you that post until there should be something more fitting.”

  Pang Tong thought this rather poor welcome for a person of his talent. But his friend was absent, so he could do nothing but control his annoyance and accept. He took his leave and started.

  But when he arrived at his post, he paid no attention to business at all; he gave himself up entirely to dissipation. The ta
xes were not collected nor were lawsuits decided.

  News of this reaching Liu Bei, who was angry and said, “Here is this stiff-necked pedant throwing my administration into disorder.”

  So Liu Bei sent Zhang Fei to the county with orders to make a general inspection of the whole county and look into any irregularities and disorders. But as Liu Bei thought there might be some tact needed, Sun Qian was also sent as coadjutor.

  In due course the inquisitors arrived at Leiyang, where they were received by the officials and welcomed by the people at the boundary. But the Magistrate did not appear.

  “Where is the Magistrate?” asked Zhang Fei.

  “Ever since his arrival, a hundred days ago and more, he has attended to no business, but spends his days from morn to night in wine-bobbing and is always intoxicated. Just now he is sleeping off a debauch and is not yet risen.”

  This raised Zhang Fei's choler, and he would have dismissed the offender forthwith had not his colleague said, “Pang Tong is a man of great ability, and it would be wrong to deal with him thus summarily. Let us inquire into it. If he is really so guilty, we will punish his offense.”

  So they went to the magistracy, took their seats in the hail of justice, and summoned the Magistrate before them. He came with dress all disordered and still under the influence of wine.

  “My brother took you for a decent person,” said Zhang Fei, angrily, “and sent you here as magistrate. How dare you throw the affairs of the county into disorder?”

  “Do you think I have done as you say, General?” said Pang Tong. “What affairs have I disordered?”

  “You have been here over a hundred days and spent the whole time in dissipation. Is not that disorderly?”

  “Where would be the difficulty in dealing with the business of a trifling county like this? I pray you, General, sit down for a while till I have settled the cases.”

  Thereupon Pang Tong bade the clerks bring in all the arrears and he would settle them at once. So they brought in the piles of papers and ordered the suitors to appear. They came and knelt in the hall while the magistrate, brush in hand, noted this and minuted that, all the while listening to the pleadings. Soon all the difficulties and disputes were adjusted, and never a mistake was made, as the satisfied bows of the people proved. By midday the whole of the cases were disposed of, and the arrears of the hundred days settled and decided.